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Kennedy Biographies

Humberto "Bert" T. Garrido was the deputy director of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida from May 2004 until is retirement in December 2011. He was responsible for safety, quality, reliability, software assurance, mission success and independent assessments of shuttle, International Space Station, expendable launch vehicles, institutional activities, and developmental efforts. Prior to this position and upon his arrival at Kennedy in August 2000, Garrido was associate director of Safety and Mission Assurance. In this capacity, he also served as the center's chief safety officer, NASA's range safety officer, and the KSC ombudsman.

Garrido joined NASA as Langley Research Center's director of Safety and Mission Assurance in January 1994. His responsibilities included ensuring the safety of the center's personnel, facilities and operations, as well as the success of multiple research, aeronautics, and space missions. Garrido is credited with leading the Langley Research Center to be the first federal worksite to be STAR certified in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program. While at Langley, Garrido received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for the development of an Aeronautics Assurance Program, and the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award for all of his contributions to the agency's Safety and Mission Assurance endeavors.

In June 1991, Garrido was appointed the director of the Division of Safety for the State of Florida, the state's equivalent of OSHA. In this capacity, he directed all the activities of the State of Florida's agency responsible for preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. As a registered lobbyist, he prepared and defended legislative initiatives and worked with the governor's staff and legislative committees in this effort. His responsibilities included preparing and promulgating statewide rules to implement statutory requirements, developing and implementing programs to reduce occupational injuries, implementing agreements with federal agencies, directing field operations, and maintaining occupational injury statistics for the state.

Garrido began his career in the private sector with the Florida Power and Light (FPL) Company in January 1972. In his last position as department head of the System Protection Department, he was responsible for the installation, preventive and corrective maintenance of protective and control systems at the company's substations and fossil and nuclear power plants. Garrido had a leadership role in preparing the company to obtain the Deming Quality Award in 1990. From 1985 through 1988, as manager of Power System Controls, he was responsible for the development, installation and maintenance of hardware, software and communications systems used in controlling FPL's power system. In addition to managing daily operations, he was responsible for planning, negotiating and constructing a new facility and control center. From 1982 to 1988, Garrido was assistant manager of the Inter-Utility Affairs Department, where he was responsible for the drafting, negotiating and administration of all contracts under federal government jurisdiction. He led numerous negotiations leading to the successful settlement of litigation. Prior to that, he held various technical and supervisory positions in System Planning, System Operations, and Power Supply Technical Services.

In 1972, Garrido received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Miami, and in 1977, earned a master's degree in business administration from Florida International University. His continuing studies have included the Program for Management Development of the Harvard University Graduate School of Business and the Federal Executive Institute Leadership Program. He is married to the former Griselle Moiron of Miami, Fla. He has two grown children, Melissa and Kevin. Kevin and Melissa both attended the University of Florida. Melissa received her master's in business administration from Notre Dame University. Kevin received his master's in business administration from Cornell University.